Banana 'Manzano' Apple Banana (Musa acuminata)
One of our favorite banana varieties! The Apple Banana has a superb, sweet flavor and really does taste just like apples! Fruit is on the smaller size, making it perfect for snacks and smoothies. This Musa variety is definitely a hold steady; reliable producing a heavy and strong crop.
Apple Banana (aka Manzano) is a seedless diploid that is rendered so by bearing sterile female flowers. It is not produced commercially on large scale but it is usually grown in backyards for family consumption. Its sub-acid flavor is reminiscent of a cross between an apple and a very sweet banana, which make a pleasing combination. Allow it to ripen fully before eating. The plant is quite cold hardy and will not be harmed by temperatures that are close to freezing. If frost forms on its leaves they will turn brown. The Apple Banana tree will grow 12 to 14 feet tall and is mostly green colored with just a light margin of red around the leaf.
Plant Type:
Fruit Tree / Evergreen Perennial Herb
Did you know? The banana plant is actually an evergreen perennial fruiting herb, not a tree! The large ‘trunk’ is actually a pseudostem, which is made of bulky, leafy layers that emerge and wither over time. Banana plants are fast-growing, and prone to reproducing new plants through mini clones known as suckers.
Harvest Season:
Year-round, but most predominantly in the warm summer months. With good care, bananas are capable of producing fruit within the first 15-18 months of planting. It will take 9-15 months before the tree starts flowering and an additional 2-6 months before the bananas are ready to be picked.
(Expect approximately 3-6 months less time from planting to fruit for Banana plants in our XL Pot Size)
Mature Size:
Really varies depending on variety. Some dwarf banana varieties grow only to 2-3 ft where other banana types reach up to 40 ft tall. Most banana plants can be grown easily in containers and overwintered indoors if needed. We recommend a minimum 7 gal. planter size.
Banana plants are fast-growing, and prone to reproducing new plants through mini clones known as suckers.
Soil & Moisture:
Thrives in ample humidity! Bananas like to be planted high on a mound in rich, moist well-drained soil, nitrogen-rich soil, and humid conditions similar to their native areas tropical and subtropical regions. In well-drained soil, bananas can almost never get too much water, sunlight, and nutrients. Water regularly to maintain leaves and promote fruit production.
Light Requirements:
Full Sun, Part Shade
Self-Fertile:
Yes
Growth Rate:
Fast, Very Fast
Zone Hardiness:
Outdoors 9-11 with frost protection; Patio/Greenhouse 4+
Propagation:
Our bananas are grown from tissue cultures and are capable of fruiting within 1 year.
